Cobalt was first discovered in 1737 by George Brandt (1694-1768), a Swedish chemist who managed to isolate the element in 1742. The name Cobalt originates from the German word kobold which means something like "goblin" or "mischievous spirit". It was called this because in the 1500's, miners in the Harz mountains (a range in central Germany) dug up ores containing cobalt, but also a highly toxic substance called arsenic trioxide. The miners thought the ores contained copper, so they heated them and were injured badly by the toxic vapors. they associated this event with an "evil spirit", so about five years later this became the name of the element found in the ores. George Brandt did not fully discover the element until 1742, although it had already been used in pottery and other decorative arts for millenniums due to its beautiful blue color.
Cobalt - History
Cobalt was first discovered in 1737 by George Brandt (1694-1768), a Swedish chemist who managed to isolate the element in 1742. The name Cobalt originates from the German word kobold which means something like "goblin" or "mischievous spirit". It was called this because in the 1500's, miners in the Harz mountains (a range in central Germany) dug up ores containing cobalt, but also a highly toxic substance called arsenic trioxide. The miners thought the ores contained copper, so they heated them and were injured badly by the toxic vapors. they associated this event with an "evil spirit", so about five years later this became the name of the element found in the ores. George Brandt did not fully discover the element until 1742, although it had already been used in pottery and other decorative arts for millenniums due to its beautiful blue color.